Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona, La Liga: Where to watch live, preview, betting odds and possible XI

Barcelona can go top of La Liga with victory over Atletico at the Vicente Calderon.

Lionel Messi & Luis Suarez — Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored as Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the Copa del Rey earlier this month Reuters

Barcelona face a tough test against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon on 26 February.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 3.15pm GMT. The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 2 HD.

Overview

Atletico Madrid took control of their Champions League round-of-16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen with a 4-2 win in Germany in midweek, with Saul Niguez, Antoine Griezmann, Kevin Gameiro and Fernando Torres all getting on the scoresheet. Diego Simeone's side have only won one of their last 12 meetings with Barcelona.

Tiago, Juanfran and Augusto Fernandez are all out injured for the hosts, but Uruguayan centre-back Diego Godin should return from a thigh problem.

Barcelona bounced back from their Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain with an unconvincing 2-1 win over Leganes on 19 February. The Catalan giants beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey earlier this month.

Javier Mascherano missed training on 24 February due to a hamstring problem and is a doubt, but Arda Turan (thigh) is available.

What managers say

Diego Simeone: "We went high up [the pitch] against them in the Copa del Rey and they scored two goals in 20 minutes. We did it in the second half and it was worth it. Barcelona are still the best team in the world and it depends on what they want to do. Now they have the enthusiasm of Madrid's defeat and are fighting for the league, so whether [we defend] five metres back or forward, I'm expecting the best Barcelona." [via Football Espana]

Luis Enrique: "The dressing room has always been united for as long as I've been here. When a coach stops working for a club, there are two pieces of news: one that's sad for the coach who leaves and one that's happy for the coach who arrives. Winning matches is difficult for any team. Points can be dropped on any given day. Our objective against Atletico is to have a great game and pick up the three points." [via Football Espana]